New DM needs Advice

[Lindeloef]

Hello fellow Roleplayers,
Yesterday was my first time playing D&D and I happend to be the DM.
We are playing "Keep on the Shadowfell" and the session ended after the Iron tooth battle (which was kinda awesome, especially Bob, the long living Kobold Skirmisher).

Now to my problem. The group knows that Kalarel has a spy in Winterhaven, so they decided NOT to go back to Winterhaven until Kalarel was send to the Raven Queen (we have one extremly convincing Raven-Queen Invoker in our group).
I fear thats the downfall of the adventure as there is little to none roleplaying in the Keep to do. (3 of 4 Players normaly play DSA / TDE so more RP is preferable)
How do I get my players to want to return back to Winterhaven?
I'm open for ideas

if it helps, a short summary of the PC:
-goodie good Bard (half-elf)
-hyper active, treasure loving druid (elf)
-fanatic Deva-Invoker, servant of the Raven Queen
-greedy,rationally Goliath-Fighter

 

[Caragaran]

I would suggest making the journey to the keep pass near to the town. Then as they set up camp for the night have a blazing glow coming from the direction of the town and a pall of smoke hanging over it in the morning. This should worry them and get them to go back to town. The spy neneral? could have already made an attack.

Or have them spot a dark imp flying to town (a messenger from the keep to the spy) could make for a fun skill challenge to capture/ interrogate it.

Either way haveing them pass near to town on the way and have to stop anyway may persuade them staying in the inn for the night rather than a field is a good idea.

When we played this we sent the party into town and I waited in a tree all night looking for a messenger. The party spread false information about me dying and how the were going of to get more help before going to the keep. This helped us uncover the spy.

 

[TheClone]

Wow, never heard of any DSA group playing 4e. I'd like to hear more of that

 

[Jhaelen]

Wow, never heard of any DSA group playing 4e. I'd like to hear more of that

There may be more of them than you might think...
*hint* *hint*

 

[Lindeloef]

@Caragaran
thanks for the comment
Last option sounds fun, though I think the players wouldn't come up with that plan.
The fear of Townpeople dying won't work with that group (sadly).
2 of 4 People wouldn't react as there is nothing in for them, the invoker would just say "everyone has to go to the Raven Queen, sooner or later"
And all 3 of them wouldn't mind, if the Bard tries to save the people alone and dies trying.

Though the messenger thing would work. The group was so dumb to camp inside the Kobold Lair, so a messenger on his way to Irontooth could spot them and report back to Kalarel.

 

[TheClone]

There may be more of them than you might think...
*hint* *hint*

I hope so. Every group switching from DSA to 4e is a good group. Welcome every lost sheep But I don't get what you're hinting at.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Based on what you've said of your group, why do you think the players NEED to go back to Winterhaven? Is there something there that you want them to do? Something that they need to accomplish?

Hello fellow Roleplayers,
Yesterday was my first time playing D&D and I happend to be the DM.
We are playing "Keep on the Shadowfell" and the session ended after the Iron tooth battle (which was kinda awesome, especially Bob, the long living Kobold Skirmisher).

Now to my problem. The group knows that Kalarel has a spy in Winterhaven, so they decided NOT to go back to Winterhaven until Kalarel was send to the Raven Queen (we have one extremly convincing Raven-Queen Invoker in our group).
I fear thats the downfall of the adventure as there is little to none roleplaying in the Keep to do. (3 of 4 Players normaly play DSA / TDE so more RP is preferable)
How do I get my players to want to return back to Winterhaven?
I'm open for ideas

if it helps, a short summary of the PC:
-goodie good Bard (half-elf)
-hyper active, treasure loving druid (elf)
-fanatic Deva-Invoker, servant of the Raven Queen
-greedy,rationally Goliath-Fighter

 

[webrunner]

Maybe put a magical door at some section of the keep that keeps them from continuing, that they have to get a key/codephrase/magical talisman/door-opening-potato from the spy?

 

[Pseudopsyche]

Instead of trying to bring the party to Winterhaven for the RP, why not bring the RP to the players? Sprinkle the keep with some kidnapped citizens of Winterhaven, which the goblins or hobgoblins are bringing to Kalarel for use in his ritual. The party can RP with these NPCs, and if you're lucky, the PCs will agree to escort them back to Winterhaven, either for the promise of reward (for your greedier players) or to aid in some crisis there.

You can also try adding more RP to the encounters already in the keep. Make the most of Sir Keegan. Perhaps he could send the PCs on a minor quest to retrieve some keepsake of his children from the second level of the keep. Perhaps ghosts of the original inhabitants languish the halls of the keep until the PCs seal the portal to the Shadowfell once and for all. Splug could connect the PCs to a renegade faction of goblins who are willing to help fight the hobgoblins to regain their freedom from Kalarel. (The goblin faction could be at odds with the ghost faction, too.)

 

[Jhaelen]

I hope so. Every group switching from DSA to 4e is a good group. Welcome every lost sheep But I don't get what you're hinting at.

Well, one of the players in my D&D campaign is the DM for our DSA campaign, in which almost the same players participate. For me it's a welcome change of pace (particularly because I don't have to DM!).

I also used to play in an Earthdawn game but it's currently on hiatus
We're having trouble finding time to play because we're 'suffering' from a baby boom...